Help needed for flying wing hand toss and launch flight mode

[cloudseeder]

basically my wing is finished and it’s so much fun, but 80% of tosses crash.

what settings do you use? should stabilization be on before tossing it? should you throttle before toss or after? etc.

I plan to set a launch mode flight mode with envelope restricted from -30/+30 roll, -10 to +70 pitch.
it will have auto-level if stick isn’t moving, with high stabilizer gains so the stab corrects quickly.
I suppose all I need now is to add strong up-elevator trim so it automatically wants to fly upwards?? but does a stabilizer auto-level function override positive trim setting?

 

[JasonK]

if your relying on auto stabilization, you need a launch mode that give is an up pitch so that it will climb instead of flying level.

I don't have any stabilization on my planes. When I launch, I do the following:

• Throw left handed, that way my roll and pitch control is available
• Power up to 2/3 - 3/4 thrust before throwing (depending on plan)
• Then throw with an up angle of around 30deg (most of my stuff has unlimited vertical, so I don't have to worry about this stalling it)
• if it is a wing and i cann't do a normal throw, i just do a wingtip toss or have someone else wingtip toss for me (easier when FPV to have someone else toss)

 

[Timmy]

Also make sure you don't apply any extra yaw motion to the plane when you throw. It also takes practice.

 

[sprzout]

Several things I can recommend using for hand launches of flying wings:

1) Have a transmitter neck strap. This way, you don't have to worry about potentially dropping your transmitter, and it will allow you to easily get on the control sticks so you can maneuver it on launch.

2) I throw it kind of like a Frisbee with my left hand, with the plane out in front of me as I throw. This way, I can avoid possible pusher prop strikes, I can throw it up on an angle, and I can watch the plane as it leaves so I can get a good idea of where my plane is going.

3) It doesn't take much of a throw if you've got enough thrust with your motor/prop combo. The plane should start wanting to go up as you launch it, based on your motor thrust, so it shouldn't be something that you have to do a "heave with all your might" type of throw. And do NOT snap your wrist when you throw it; that will give a yaw/flat spin type of motion to the plane, and can bring it around to anyone next to you, behind you, or worse, into YOU.

If you've NEVER flown the wing, I HIGHLY recommend that you get someone else who has, or can give you a hand for the first launch - that way you're not battling trim issues when trying to get it up in the air.

Something some of the guys I fly with do is they set a switch with a bit of up elevator programmed in when the switch is "on", so that the wing wants to go up on launch, and then, when the wing is up enough for them to gain good control, they throw the switch to the off position. I myself don't care for that; I've found it to be difficult with launches and control, and with my throwing style, the plane wants to go almost vertical or loop on launch. It just doesn't work for me - but that's just me and my throwing style.

 

[Merv]

Lots of good advice above.
Here is a video describing 3 ways to launch a wing. There is no one right way, you need to find the way that works for you. It’s possible the stabilizer is causing your problem. You might consider turning it off.

Myself, I use a 4th method an underhanded frisbee toss. It would be somewhat similar to the forearm toss in the video. Use whatever hand you want, I toss the plane with my right hand.

I agree with @sprzout, I suspect your biggest problem is the plane has not been trimmed out. There is a huge improvement in flying when a plane is trimmed. It would be helpful to handle someone else toss the plane until you get it trimmed. Don’t yaw (spin) the plane, 40-60% throttle, 15-30% up angle & a good firm toss, are the keys.

 

[Flite Risk]

and another was......

 

[Slick1855]

I had good success early with inav auto launch, but eventually started having issues with getting it to sense the toss. I might eventually set mine to shake to start.

Best way I've found now is to set it on acro, throttle up high, hold a little up elevator and a nice smooth wing tip launch at a reasonable up angle. Doesn't take a very hard throw and acro does a great job of stopping torque roll.

If you want to use auto launch I recommend using the always on with arm setting, turning up the launch throttle, adding more time to the timeout, etc..

There is a guy on YouTube that goes by Adam G does fpv. He did a pretty good video on setting up auto launch and shows what parameters to change.

 

[sprzout]

Lots of good advice above.
Here is a video describing 3 ways to launch a wing. There is no one right way, you need to find the way that works for you. It’s possible the stabilizer is causing your problem. You might consider turning it off.

Myself, I use a 4th method an underhanded frisbee toss. It would be somewhat similar to the forearm toss in the video. Use whatever hand you want, I toss the plane with my right hand.

I agree with @sprzout, I suspect your biggest problem is the plane has not been trimmed out. There is a huge improvement in flying when a plane is trimmed. It would be helpful to handle someone else toss the plane until you get it trimmed. Don’t yaw (spin) the plane, 40-60% throttle, 15-30% up angle & a good firm toss, are the keys.

Just a word of warning with the overhead toss as described in the video:

We had a guy who was new to flying wings at our field recently. He opted to try and launch with the "sky hook" or bringing the plane straight up overhead, and whipping around to try and see where the plane was. This didn't work well because the plane went almost vertical, and started looping back in towards the pilot's box and the pits, where other pilots were standing. It is recommended that if you are wanting to do the overhead launch, have someone else do it to launch it - don't try to do it yourself, because you won't end up getting the plane to go where you want.

My method is that forearm launch, but I do it with my left hand vs. my right, so that I can control the elevons and keep the plane flying level until I can get around to the pilot box. It's just safer and easier to launch FOR ME. Again, as he noted, it's not for everyone.

I've tried the "discus style" launch that Merv has described, and it works well with LIGHT planes - things like a DLG, or Discus Launch Glider, or a slope soaring wing that doesn't have a motor and large battery (because you only really need a BEC and a smaller battery if you're sloping; all of your lift is generated by the wind blowing up the hillside). I won't say it doesn't work for everything, but I've found it to be awkward for me to throw a heavier wing that way - I don't get a good launch, or I get a twist on the launch, or the wing wants to dip on one edge and pull left or right. Also, it's a little awkward when we're doing combat with flying wings and you have 8-10 guys throwing their wings all at the same time, and you're trying not to have your plane fly into them on launch.

 

[Hai-Lee]

I watched a number of the members of a local club destroy their models during hand launching and so I built a "Ground launch" bungee system. Simply the bird is dragged across the ground from a point below the plane which lifts the nose during launch and the launch can be rapid.

It NEVER fails to launch the plane at speed and straight every time.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/the-best-20-i-invested.53587/

Have fun!